The Grover-Counter Scale of Cognitive Development

V.M. Grover & M. Sebate

The Grover-Counter Scale of Cognitive Development was originally developed for the testing of mentally handicapped children and adults in an attempt to assess their level of cognitive functioning thereby assisting in their placement and the diagnosis of their training needs. It can also be used to supplement other intelligence tests in the case of hearing impaired children, those with impaired verbal skills, aphasia or elective mutism or for those testees for whom a verbal test is inappropriate for any other reason, particularly where the language of a tester is not the mother tongue of the testee. The rationale is that where a child may not be able to solve a problem in the form of a verbal response he/she may be able to do so behaviourally.

The Grover-Counter Scale is based on Piagetian theory and was developed according to Piaget’s stages of development. Each of the sections are associated with a certain stage. The testee’s stage of development is revealed by his or her performance on each section (not just the score obtained, but the procedure adopted in completing the item as well).

The test consists of five sections which each measures a stage in the person’s development.

Section A consists of simple recognition of shapes and colours.

Section B assesses ability to reconstruct patterns from memory.

Section C assesses ability to copy a model made by the tester.

Section D assesses ability to reconstruct from memory once the model has been removed.

Section E assesses ability to produce and complete patterns from a design on a card within a time limit.

Norms

The Grover Scale was standardised on a sample of convenience and therefore, only provisional norms are provided. A table is provided for the allocation of subjects to a particular cognitive functioning level which depends on the total score and certain other requirements. Another table allows one to determine the approximate test age of the subjects by using the total score as well as the scores for each section. These norms were calculated on a sample that consisted of normal children (3-10), a sample of mentally handicapped adults and a sample of normal African-language speaking children (8-10).

Each Complete Set (Cat no. 3450/V) includes 5 answer booklets (Cat no. 3446)